Sophie
by RandomNametag
Summary: Just a little story revolving around House and his almost-daughter, Sophie.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Ok, so this is pretty much my first attempt at not only a House fic but also at a decent-ish length fic altogether. The chapters all follow on from each other but they're more like snippets following the story-line. House is somewhat OOC but it's what I reckon he'd be like in this situation. Probably nobody shares this opinion with me, but that's cool. Anyways, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own House. Who in their right mind would actually try to claim that!?

* * *

"Soph? What are you doing here?"

"What, a girl can't just drop by to say hi these days?"

House merely starred at her, unblinking, until she threw her hands up in defeat.

"Fine, I'm here to ask you for a favour."

House continued starring, "Care to elaborate?"

She scowled at him, "Just give me a sec, will you? Jeez." She continued to hesitate - she looked worried, and that in turn worried House, though he would deny it if ever accused, he cared for Sophie.

"Sophie?" He looked at her closely, scrutinising her, concern etched on his face. "Is something wrong?"

She laughed, and put a hand on his chest, tenderly, "No, no. I'm sorry, Greg, I didn't mean to scare you." Taking a deep breath, she stuck out her other hand in one swift movement, revealing to him for the first time, a stunning diamond ring. "I'm getting married." She said, happily. "And, I was hoping... I was hoping you would give me away."

House was shocked, lost for words, for one brief, silent moment, "Are you sure, Sophie? You want me to give you away?"

She laughed again at the shocked expression on his face - the absolute bewilderment, and the obvious confusion as to why she would ask him of all people to walk her down the aisle on the single most important day of her life. "Of course I'm sure. You are the closest thing I've ever had to a father. You've practically been my father all these years. You may not biologically be related to me, but there is no doubt in my mind that you are my dad, in every other way. And, traditionally... the father of the bride gives her away. Besides everyone in this gossip-crazed building has their own theories about what activities you and mum get up to behind closed doors."

House looked at her curiously, "Doesn't talking to me about my sordid secret alleged sex life with your mother creep you out in the slightest?"

She shrugged, "Nope."

House grinned, "Okay then."

"Okay then what?"

"Okay then, I'll do it. I'll give you away."

She squealed a very high-pitched girlish squeal, bouncing up and down on her toes as she went to hug him, and then pulled back, remembering very suddenly his general disgust with the concept of physical affectionate contact with another human being. He frowned at her, balancing his cane against his desk, he placed a hand on each of her shoulders, facing her. "Congratulations Soph." He said quietly, pulling her into the hug, and laying a gentle kiss on her forehead. When they pulled away from the embrace he retrieved his cane, just in time, as the girl wrapped her tiny hand around his wrist and pulled him in the direction of the elevators. "Sophie!" He protested.

"We have to go and tell mum, Greg."

"Fine," He muttered, immensely saddened to have been beaten by the young woman.

* * *

"These morons really need to go out and get themselves lives, or even just a hobby would be a start - knitting or I dunno, line dancing."

"They have a hobby."

House his eyebrow, waiting for some form of elaboration. Sophie grinned, "Speculating about you and mum, and your various extra-curricular activities. And placing bets on you of course."

House growled, "You are far too much like your mother, you know."

"You know the majority of this hospital is already under the impression that you are in some kind of sordid relationship, or at least have at some point done the nasty."

House grinned broadly, and wiggled his eyebrows. Sophie gaped at him, "You mean... oh my god... you... and my mum... I mean..." She trailed off, staring at him open mouthed as his grin turned smug, obviously pleased with the shock he had induced. Unable to restrain herself, Sophie burst out laughing, "You are so easy. Of course, you and her have had sex in the last twenty-odd years you've known each other. It's totally obvious to anybody who's ever seen the two of you in the same room, let alone having any kind of conversation, you doofus. The only part I find amazing is that you've both managed to completely deny the fact that you're crazy about one another, and avoid any kind of real relationship."

"I am _not_ crazy about you're mother. _She_ is just plain crazy. And I'm beginning to think you inherited that particular gene, Soph."

"Sure, _Doctor House_. Whatever you say." She grinned at him knowingly, and he just growled again and stalked past her as best he could with a limp and a cane. "Hey you know," She followed, laughing. "When you give me away, most people will probably believe you're secretly my father anyway. Ooh, and then we'll have a whole new set of rumours and gossip about how you and her have a twenty year old daughter together and have been secretly married all these years. This is going to be so much fun."


	2. Chapter 2

"You know they all think she's your girlfriend or something, don't you?" Wilson demanded, staring at him, as though that was anymore likely to make House tell him anything.

House shrugged, "Yippee for them?"

"House, we both know that she's not your girlfriend. She's twenty. And she doesn't look like a prostitute to me."

"You would know this how?"

House smirked at Wilson, as he floundered to come up with an appropriate response. "She just... doesn't seem the type."

"Great, now that we've established you've never paid for sex, and Sophie's not a prostitute, or my girlfriend, can I go now?" House pouted at his friend as he stood to leave. He hadn't really intended on waiting for an answer, it was just more fun this way. As he reached the door, Wilson spoke quietly from his seat on the couch. "Is she your daughter?"

House froze. How was he supposed to respond to that? No, she wasn't his daughter, but she sure as hell felt like it. He was the closest thing she's ever had to a father, and he was pretty damn sure she was the only thing remotely resembling a kid he was ever gonna get. But still, she wasn't his - she was Cuddy's. He shook his head slowly, almost sadly, "No."

No longer interested in anything Wilson might have to say, he quickly left the office, and headed for his own. Thoughts were racing around in his head. He loved Sophie, and she wanted him to give her away at her wedding. Despite the lack of the biological aspect of fatherhood, he was in all other respects her dad. As it was, he loved her mother, even if Cuddy didn't feel the same way about him, they were the two most important people in the world to him.

For the time he had been with Stacy, Sophie hadn't been able to come and stay with him, simply because he and Cuddy had agreed that it was better if Sophie wasn't known about much at the hospital. Neither of them ever really believed that House's relationship with Stacy would last. In fact, no one was more surprised than House that they'd made it as long as they did. House was aware that Stacy was a gossip, and one of her favourite gossip buddies was Wilson. If Stacy had ever known about Sophie's existence, Wilson would have been informed instantly, and the entire hospital would have very suddenly become privy to the fact that Cuddy had a kid, who had been partly raised by House.

In other words, all hell would have broken loose within the walls of Princeton-Plainsborough. The relationship House and Cuddy had shared over the years had been a topic of much speculation for as long as either of them could remember. Any time the two of them had spoken to each other, screamed at each other, looked at each other, or hell, even been in the same room as one another, more whispers would start to make their way around the hospital, new rumours would be created, and new bets would be placed on various aspects of their relationship.

No, Sophie wasn't his daughter, but she may as well have been, and he often found himself wishing that had been the case - for all of their sakes.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I am going to be uploading the rest of this story pretty quickly. It's basically all written, so it's just a matter of getting it up. Thanks to people who reviewed and I just wanted to clear something up - Cuddy didn't actively keep Sophie hidden, it's more just that the majority of the hospital didn't realise who she was while she was at the hospital, and neither Cuddy nor House saw any reason to rectify that. Seen as she's been at College for a few years, and been far more indepedent and self-sufficient she hasn't been around the hospital as much. Anyway, on with the story. Enjoy.

* * *

Cuddy sat at her desk, shuffling through stacks of never-ending paperwork. She scribbled her signature on the last page, piled them together and put them to one side, to be dealt with later. Right now, all she wanted was a hot cup of coffee and a break from her administrative duties. With a sigh, she slumped back in her chair, closing her eyes for a moment, one hand rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration before running through her hair.

Sometimes she hated her job. She didn't regret her choice of career for a second, and sure she was proud of her accomplishments, but occasionally, when she was over-worked, tired-beyond-belief, and missing her little girl, she wondered whether maybe she would have been happier had she remained a doctor in the hospital, like her colleagues. Maybe she'd have her own department - her own fellows to bow to her every whim. She'd have more free time, more of a social life, and she wouldn't be House's boss - she wouldn't have to deal with his antics every day, which would certainly reduce her stress level.

But, she thought, if she weren't Dean of Medicine, someone else would be. Which would mean someone else would be House's boss, and either House would have been out of a job years ago or numerous patients would have died, simply because he couldn't diagnose them and stick to the rules at the same time. That thought depressed her - what would her life, her job, be like without House? Boring. That was the only word to describe it. He was her best friend, as sad as that may sound, he really was, and she couldn't imagine life without him.

With another loud sigh, sounding utterly defeated, even to her own ears, she opened her eyes and nearly jumped clear out of her seat. Glaring at the scruffy man that stood directly in front of her desk, she held one hand over her heart, feeling it's rhythm return to normal. "Will you please stop doing that? I swear to God, you're going to give me a heart attack one of these days." Grinning, House handed her a cup of coffee, watching her eyes light up as she breathed in the rich scent of her favourite drink.

He limped over to the couch and collapsed comfortably onto it. Leaning his cane against the arm, he took a swig out of a second disposable cup she hadn't noticed, before placing it on the coffee table. He propped his feet up, careful not to knock the cup from the table, spread his arms across the back of the couch and laid his head back, closing his eyes. Cuddy watched House, amazed even after all this time that he could simply invade her office, do something incredibly sweet, such as bringing her a much-needed coffee and then go to sleep on her couch - all without a single word from him. She took a sip from her own drink, revelling in the feel of the warm liquid sliding down her throat, and stood from her chair. She walked over to the door, locking it inconspicuously, thankful she had decided to keep her office blinds closed all day. Then she joined him on the couch, laying on her back, her head resting against the arm, and her legs sprawled across him. She felt him shift slightly beneath her, making sure his leg wasn't going to be causing him more pain than usual when the got up. She closed her eyes, and was just drifting off, when he spoke her name, she opened her eyes to find him staring at her. "She's getting married." He said quietly.

Cuddy nodded her head slowly, "Yeah, she is."

"Why?" He looked bewildered.

"Because she loves Toby, and he loves her."

"She's twenty, she's got her whole life ahead of her, and she's getting married! Besides isn't he a bit old for her?"

"Greg, he's twenty-five."

"Exactly!"

Cuddy shot him a look, "There's barely four years between them. They love one another, they've been together for nearly 4 years, and they've known each other longer than that. You've never had any problem with Toby before, in fact I remember you saying that he was a good kid, _and _that he was good for Sophie."

"I didn't think she was going to marry him!" He protested.

"Stop it!"

"What?"

"Looking for things to go wrong between them, looking for reasons that this is going to fail. You're over-thinking this whole thing, and you're being overprotective of Sophie."

"I'm not being overprotective, I'm being realistic. She's a twenty-year old girl getting married to a guy years older than her, and I just don't want to see this end badly, I don't want to see her get hurt. She's going to be a doctor and a damn good one at that, why does she need to get married before she's even chosen her specialty?"

"It's nice to see that you do care about someone else, but did you ever think that maybe it's a good thing that she's found a lasting, meaningful relationship that she can see herself being in for the rest of her life, before she gets sucked into being a doctor, before she loses all traces of a social life, and before she's forty-years-old and realises that she's got no-one and she's going to be alone for the rest of her life? And for you're information she has chosen her specialty - Haematology and Infectious Diseases."

"She's going for a double." House smiled, pride echoing in his voice, as he realised that not only was she planning on a double specialty, she'd chosen infectious diseases - one of his own specialties. The smile faded from his face though as he thought of what else the woman sprawled across him had just revealed to him. "You don't have no-one, you're not alone you know. I mean, really, Wilson is just incredibly hard to get rid of. I've tried, believe me, he's like that cat that just keeps coming back. Downright annoying, if you ask me." House relaxed as Cuddy smiled at him, before both lapsed into silence. It wasn't awkward, it was comfortable - something that comes with twenty years of friendship. And both slowly drifted off to sleep, spread out on the couch, one on top of the other, oblivious to the rest of he world.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Just a quick note - italics indicate flashback. 'Cause flashbacks are fun! Even if they are short. Enjoy.

Sophie collapsed on the couch in her mother's blessedly silent office, her legs sprawled haphazardly over the arm, her body sinking gratefully into the soft cushioning as she allowed herself to drift off. What felt like mere seconds later she awoke with a somewhat undignified grunt and flailing of limbs that propelled her unexpectedly off the couch and onto the floor. One of her legs connected solidly with the nearby coffee table on her way down, and she skilfully retaliated by hitting the tabletop with her face. She lay on the floor, huffing as she rolled onto her back. Her eyes fluttered open and she caught sight of both House and her mother standing over her peering at her with concern, and, in House's case, a fair amount of amusement at her expense. Suddenly remembering their abrupt entrance was what had awoken her in the first place, and realising with horror that they had just witnessed her humiliating jerk and tumble off the couch, she let out a loud groan and squeezed her eyes shut tight, willing them to go away. She heard a rumble of laughter from House, "She's fine, Cuddy."

"You can't possibly know that. Sophie are you hurt?"

"Only my pride," She muttered, resisting the urge to let out another frustrated groan - it would only worry her mother more.

She heard another bark of laughter from somewhere behind her mother, "Lisa, she's fine. She may be the most accident-prone person I have ever met, but she's got a hard head."

Sophie let out an indignant "Hey!" in protest, before collapsing back onto the floor, realising House was right - she had had a significantly large amount of experience when it came to dealing with injuries - specifically her own. Her various attempts to climb things that shouldn't be climbed, build things that inevitably fell on her, and jump off things that weren't really intended to be jumped off of as a child had prepared her for a life so far filled with more minor injuries than any one person should really sustain.

* * *

_House was pacing. Back and forth, back and forth. It was terribly monotonous, and to be honest it wasn't really doing him any good, but it just seemed to be the thing to do. He heard Cuddy before he saw her, her impossibly high heels clicking against the hard floor as she rushed down the corridor. He grabbed her arm gently, but firmly as she went to move straight past him. He saw the worry, the fear on her face, "She's fine, Lise." His words were quiet, calming, but she merely stared at him in amazement. _

_"She fell out of a tree!"_

_"Well, yes, she did, but she's pretty much fine."_

_"Pretty much is not good enough, Greg!" He cringed slightly at the pitch her voice was meeting, but didn't back down._

_"Lisa. She broke her arm, that's all. Considering how accident-prone the kid is, it's a wonder she's never broken a bone before. It's a hairline fracture, it's been set, she'll wear the cast for a few weeks, and then she'll be good as new. Probably be back swinging through trees like Tarzan again in no time." The look Cuddy gave him she have been a signal to shut up, but he took it more as an incentive to keep talking. He opened his mouth to continue his ramblings, but before he could speak, she had placed her hand over his mouth._

_"She's six! You were supposed to be watching her," She hissed, angrily. "Where is she?"_

_"I was watching her. I watched her swing through the trees, fall out of one and break her arm." She scowled at him again, and he gestured vaguely in the direction of one of the doors. "She's in there."_


	5. Chapter 5

"House... "Cameron trailed off, unsure how to continue. "We, uh, we just wanted to congratulate you."

"On?" House replied, not really caring, as he tried to beat his own high score.

"On getting married." That caught his attention, he froze, thinking he'd misheard for a second.

"What!?"

"We spoke to Sophie, and she told us about the wedding, and invited us. How come you didn't say anything?"

"You idiots." House said shaking his head as he walked into his office, all of the ducklings, past and present trailing behind him. Cameron and Kutner looked pleased for him, but confused by his attitude, whereas Foreman and Taub looked bored, Thirteen indifferent, and Chase looked... amused, though why House had no idea. With all of them crowded into his office he was beginning to feel somewhat claustrophobic - though it may have been the excessive caring he was picking up from Cameron and Kutner that was making him feel nauseous. "Honestly, I have no idea why I picked you lot as my diagnostic team - you're all morons."

Cameron sputtered, attempting to find some way of responding to the blunt statement.

"Sophie is twenty." He said, speaking slowly, as though to a bunch of morons - oh, wait, that's exactly what they were.

"Well," Started Cameron. "Now that you mention it, she is a bit young don't you think?"

"Yes. Which is why she isn't marrying me!"

"What?"

"I'm not marrying her. She's getting married. Not. Me."

"But she said she was happy to finally meet all of us, that she was getting married, and that she was sure you would love for us to come. She also said that she'd been nagging you to invite us since the date was set."

"And nowhere in that little speech did you mention the part where she's supposedly marrying me."

"Well, we just assumed-"

"You should never assume - it makes an ass out of you and me." He said in a sing-song voice. "Now-"

"But if you're not marrying her, who is she? And why would you be inviting people to the wedding."

"She's the daughter of an _old_ friend," He emphasised the word old, knowing that none of them would make the connection. "I'm giving her away, and I haven't invited anybody to the wedding."

"You're giving her away!? You!?"

"Yes. Now, I believe we have a patient, and you and the Wombat have other department heads to go and irritate." He dismissed them with a wave of his hand. Cameron sighed, defeated, and left dejectedly with Chase, who gave a House a knowing look as he exited the room. House couldn't for the life of him think what could prompt such a reaction from the Aussie.


	6. Chapter 6

Cuddy nearly screamed when she turned from hanging her lab coat on the coat rack to see House sitting silently on her couch. She held a hand to her chest, cursing herself for being so obviously shocked by his presence. He'd done the same thing numerous times before - she should certainly have been used to it by now. But she wasn't. She waited for him to speak, before realising he didn't seem to have noticed her entrance. She looked at him carefully, thankful for the opportunity his distraction provided her to scrutinise him without having to worry about his reaction to her staring. He looked tired, as he often did, but this time there seemed to be something more to it. She couldn't put her finger on it, but he seemed almost... sad. She took a seat beside him, still watching him, but he didn't give any indication he'd noticed. "She wants me to give her away." House finally spoke, but he sounded wrong, broken. He didn't look up, didn't move at all.

"I know." She said, confused as to where he was going with this.

"Why?"

"Because you're like a father to her. She loves you."

"She shouldn't." He whispered, rubbing absently at his thigh. That's when it clicked. He didn't understand why her daughter would think of him as a father, she realised.

"House." She shook her head, taking his hand in hers. "You know you are the most brilliant person I have ever met, but for a genius you can be incredibly dense. How can you even wonder why Sophie would look to you as a father?"

"I'm not a nice person, Cuddy. I've never been a nice person. I hurt people, I've hurt you more than anyone."

"You may not always be nice Greg, but you're a good man. Yes you've hurt me, but do you have any idea how much you've helped me over the years? If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be Dean, and Sophie, well, she may not have had the childhood she deserved. You gave her that."

House scoffed, "Cuddy, I'm an ass, I'm a drug addict, I'm not someone you want to be around for any length of time. I don't think Sophie understands who I am, what I am."

"Greg, she's twenty. Not five. She knows who you are. I would say she probably knows you better than anyone, even me. You played a major part in who she's become, and look at her, she's happy. She knows exactly who you are. She knows all about what you have and haven't done over the years. She's aware of a lot of what's gone on in your life. She knows you can be a jerk, she knows you're a drug addict. But she also knows that you helped raise her when her own father took off. She knows you helped me out over the years, whether it was for her good or for mine. She knows you do everything in your power, even to the point of insanity in order to save a patient's life. And she knows that despite what you say about needing to solve the puzzle, you do what you do because it's right."

"And what about when I screw up, what about when I hurt her so bad that she never forgives me?"

"You may be capable of causing that reaction in most people, but somehow I don't think you could ever hurt Sophie that bad. I don't think you have it in you to hurt her. I know that you love her as much as she does you."

"Love doesn't stop me from hurting people. I hurt you."

Her head snapped round, her eyes searching his out. He groaned, suddenly realising how much he'd just revealed. "Oh, don't look so surprised, Lisa."

"What I'm not allowed to be surprised by the fact that you just told me you love me?"

"It's not like you didn't know." She looked away, refusing to meet his eyes. "Lisa," He tipped her chin, forcing her to look at him. "How could you not know?"

"I never thought..."

"And you call me dense. You think I just go around raising other people's little monsters because I actually like children or something?"

"I know you like children."

"Children don't like me, so I don't like them."

"You like Sophie."

"I _love_ Sophie. How the hell could I not, she's yours. Besides she was never a snot-nosed little brat, she was a damn smart kid. But I only got to know Sophie in the first place because of you." House scrubbed a hand tiredly over his face. "You know I'm essentially a selfish jerk. You didn't think there was some ulterior motive to helping you with a kid, especially one that wasn't mine?"

"The thought had crossed my mind. This _wasn't_ what I had expected."

"I fell in love with you. I helped you out purely because of that - in the beginning. And then I got to know Sophie, and how could I ever give that up? I got to spend time with the only two people in the world that actually meant something to me."

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

"Yes."

"Twenty years, Greg! Twenty-years and you never said a thing."

"I didn't actually mean to say anything now."

"That just makes it worse."

"I know." He said. Cuddy sighed. She wasn't going to get anywhere with him now about his revelation, so she returned to his original concern.

"You are going to give Sophie away, because for all intents and purposes you are her father."

"Fine, but I still don't think it's a good idea."

"Why?" Cuddy looked concerned.

House let out an exaggerated sigh, "I hate weddings."


	7. Chapter 7

"She's Cuddy's daughter!?" Cameron was shocked. House sighed, he should have known they would work it out - eventually. Despite what he told them, he hadn't hired them based entirely on trivialities, he had hired them for their skills, one of which happened to be a knack for problem-solving - frankly he was a little disappointed it had taken them this long to figure it out. Now his current team, plus Cameron, Chase and Wilson, was assembled in the Diagnostic's conference room.

"Yes." House said evenly. Secretly he found it enormously amusing having all of them sitting there like a bunch of teenage girls having a gossip session. The stared at him waiting for him to elaborate, but he merely stared back.

Eventually Cameron broke the silence, House wasn't surprised - Cameron was always the first to crack. "She's twenty!"

"Actually, she's closer to twenty-one." House stated matter-of-factly.

"But Cuddy must have been-"

"Young. Yes, she was."

"How long have you known about her?"

"Since before she was born."

"Whose her father? I mean, are...?" Chase spoke up, but trailed off, not sure how to end the question, and whether he dared ask it.

"Am I? No. He's of no consequence."

"But you obviously know her pretty well."

"Why? Because she asked me to give her away? Maybe she just doesn't have anybody else to do it. Besides I look dashing in a tux, or so I've been told."

"No, that's not all, what about all that time she spent in your office, watching your TV?"

"When? She hasn't been watching TV in my office at all since she's been here." House was momentarily confused, and then it clicked. When Sophie was in her final year of high school she used to come hang out in his office sometimes after school. Nobody ever paid her much attention, and Chase had been his only fellow at that point. He glanced at Chase and saw the smug expression on his face. He pointed at him, "You knew."

"I didn't know whether or not you were her father, but I knew about her and that she was Cuddy's kid."

House was impressed, Chase had figured it out by himself years ago, and never told a soul, including his now very pissed off girlfriend. House noticed with some amusement, that Cameron was whispering angrily at Chase, who didn't really seem to be paying attention to what she was saying. House caught Chase's eye, and gave him a nod of thanks, the most acknowledgement he would get of a job well done. Chase nodded in return, and House was grateful that Chase had decided to be loyal in regards to this one particular piece of knowledge, that he alone had possessed. If Chase had given them up to the gossip mill, Cuddy would have had his ass.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I call this chapter 'Conversations with Wilson'. I can't for the life of me think why... But considering I couldn't be bothered to think of anything remotely interesting as names for my other chapters, this one is still officially 'Chapter Eight' - exciting as that is. Plus flashback yay!

* * *

"I was a college freshman - first year Michigan pre-med. He was in his finally year of med school. He was the TA for some of my classes. He annoyed me, but intrigued me at the same time. The majority of the time I found his mere presence frustrating, and as such attempted to ignore him, while trying my damndest to understand him. I knew who he was of course - the _brilliant_ Greg House, resident genius - he was a legend long before I started there. He started to bug me in classes, calling on me for a lot more answers than was strictly fair - but he knew before he asked me whether I knew the answer of not, sometimes he would call on me because I knew it, and others because I didn't. I ignored him completely, answering every question I was asked, regardless of whether I knew the correct answer at that point. To be honest, it didn't bother me that much, I learnt more from him in those classes than I did from any professor. It was his arrogance that bugged me - his thinking he could do what he wanted, say what he wanted and get whatever he wanted just because he was brilliant and charming."

"Still the same old House then."

"Hmm, I guess, in a lot of ways. But not so much. Anyway, one night I was at a party with some friends and he was there. My friends ditched me at some point, and I somehow ended up spending the entire night deep in conversation with him. We had both had too much to drink, and we ended up passing out sprawled across one another on the concrete floor - a very uncomfortable position to have slept in come morning. He walked me home, and then took me for breakfast - he was in fact the single most fascinating person I had ever met and I found myself spending more and more time with him rather than my girlfriends. I didn't care though. For some reason I'd always related better to guys than to girls, and I preferred stimulating conversation with him than a day spent fussing over hair and nails with my roommates. He quickly became my best friend, shocking as it may sound. He took a few extra classes for his last semester - to make up for some he hadn't bothered to show up for, and I found myself bored out of my mind half the time. I started seeing a guy occasionally, and eventually we slept together. I found myself at the end of my first year of college, eighteen years old and three months pregnant. It was a terrifying experience. The guy took off, my parents were angry and wanted me to abort the child, or marry the father, drop out of college and settle down. I did the only thing I could, I turned to him out of pure desperation and he helped me out. He allowed me to move into the small two-bedroom apartment he had found just off campus. He helped me to take care of Sophie, and allowed me to finish out med school. Sophie absolutely adores him, and he's been like a father to her for her entire life. When he got involved with Stacy, he still maintained his close relationship with Sophie, but never with Stacy around. I think it's part of the reason they didn't work out. She lived with him for five years and never once did he feel strongly enough about her or trust her enough to introduce her to his pseudo-daughter. Sophie's pre-med, which is completely unsurprising considering her upbringing. She's going to study medicine at Johns Hopkins, a decision I guarantee was influenced by House. Sophie is the one person that has kept him alive all these years. The only reason, I believe, that he hasn't been able to kill himself is that he couldn't bear to do that to her. As far as the two of them are concerned, they are father and daughter, and the best of friends on top of it."

"He cares about you too you know."

"I know."

* * *

"She lived in a dorm with three other girls - Ditzy, Ditzier, and Dumbass. She unfortunately shared a room with Dumbass - the stupidest of the three. Of course they were all morons so it was a toss-up really, but I'm pretty sure she was the most idiotic. They hated her, which I originally thought was simply because of her. I mean, she was pre-med, she spent hours studying every day, she was top of all her classes. She didn't agree to them having parties at their dorm and she very rarely went to parties elsewhere, and for the most part she didn't drink all that much. To top it all off, she was athletic, could eat whatever she wanted without gaining a pound, and yet chose to be a vegetarian, and she was smokin' hot, absolutely gorgeous. So, as you would expect from a group of blonde, bulimic string-beans without a brain between them, they weren't really fond of their goody-goody perfect roomy. Despite all that, all good reasons for them hating her, I eventually found out that what they really hated her for was her friendship with me. When she started hanging out with me and the guys, the turned against her completely. Until that point they had been relatively civil, inviting her out with them, making some sort of friendship between them, then after I came along they made her life a living hell."

"You felt guilty."

"I did not feel guilty."

"You just said that being friends with you made her life a living hell, and cost her the possible friendship of her roommates. You felt guilty."

"I _didn't_ feel guilty. Those girls were idiots, they didn't deserve her friendship and she didn't stay with them much longer anyway. She moved into an off-campus apartment for the start of second year."

"With who?"

"Me."

* * *

_"Stop... looking at me like that."_

_His gruff voice broke through the silence, startling Cuddy from her position by the door. Recovering quickly, determined not to let him know he'd surprised her once again with his ability to sense her presence, she walked slowly towards him. "Like what?"_

_"Like you wanna kiss me," He said, facing her now. "Like you're amazed, in awe, whatever you want to call it."_

_Cuddy stopped in front of where he sat, holding her daughter - her baby girl. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised a brow at him. "There are a lot of people who would find it amazing that the legendary Greg House is perfectly content to sit and hold a tiny baby, to change her and bathe her, and help take care of her. Particularly seen as she's not even his."_

_"She's not mine, but she is yours."_

_"So?"_

_"So, you're my responsibility."_

_Lisa scoffed, "Your responsibility? I don't think I've been anyone's responsibility since I was twelve."_

_"Well now you're mine...my responsibility."_


	9. Chapter 9

"Sophie!" He yelled, glaring at his reflection again. When she appeared, he spun to face her, turning his furious glare on her instead. "What the_ hell _am I wearing?"

"Okay, now I know you're not big on fashion, but honestly - this is called a _tuxedo_." She spoke slowly, as though he was stupid.

His glare intensified, "I know _what_ it is. What I want to know is why the hell is it blue? Whatever happened to black? You know, tradition?"

"Blah, black." She laughed. "We wanted to go colourful. No one is allowed to wear black or white, except for me and Toby. And we switched colours - he's wearing white, and I'm wearing black."

"Is there any particular reason I'm only finding this out today? Or you just thought it would be fun to see my expression when I realised I was dressed as a smurf?"

"Well, there is that. Plus, I had this feeling you might object, or you know make a scene or something. Evidently I was mistaken. But no, mostly it was just to see you're face. Classic, by the way."

House made a grab for her, but she was too quick, ducking out of the room, and closing the door behind her. Frustrated, he turned to stare once again at his own reflection. Shrugging his shoulders in defeat, he scrutinised the outfit. If he was being honest, he admitted, at least to himself, that it could have been worse. A royal blue tuxedo with a black shirt, and a silver tie - it could have been much worse, he realised, and shuddered at the thought of having been given a pink tux. Shaking his head, he added the finishing touches - a silver headed, dark-wooded cane, and a black bowler hat to top it off, and spared himself one last look in the mirror. House grinned in spite of himself as he headed for the door, the only thought in his mind_ 'this is going to be one hell of a wedding'_.

He entered the adjoining room, finding himself with a stunning view of Lisa Cuddy, mother-of-the-bride, rushing about in nothing but her scant underwear. Closing the door silently behind him, House collapsed into the closest chair, careful not to alert her to his presence. Paying no attention to the mirror, she rushed about, obviously searching for something on the other side of the room. House was utterly delighted when she seemed to spot what she looking for and proceeded to get on her knees and swipe a hand underneath the bed, providing him with a clear shot of her bountiful ass. He stared, unable and unwilling to tear his gaze from such a work of art.

Unfortunately for him, the moment Cuddy stood from picking up the runaway tube of lipstick that had found its way under the bed, she glanced in his direction. Her strangled scream as she noticed him for the first time was quickly followed by a glare and a string of choice expletives. House, sensing danger, stood from his seat, and completely ignored the little voice that shouted at him 'run for your life! Run! Now you idiot!'. Instead, he limped towards her as she held her dress in front of her, in an attempt to cover herself. Her glare intensified as he got closer, but he continued forward. Placing one hand gently on her shoulder, he was pleased and surprised when she didn't pull away or shrug him off. Before she had anymore time to react, he placed a soft, chaste kiss on her lips, then turned swiftly and headed once more for the door. He shot a grin over his shoulder before exiting, "Nice undies Cuddy." He saw a blush creep onto her stunned face as he closed the door and headed off down the hall.

* * *

House walked Sophie down the aisle, beaming at her as any proud father would on his daughter's wedding day. When he had handed her over to her fiancée, he turned and took his seat next to Cuddy, unconsciously taking her hand in his during the ceremony. He was amazed by the joy he felt as he watched the younger Cuddy get married, and prayed she had better luck than Wilson had had with his succession of wives.

When the ceremony was over, and Sophie was officially a married woman, Cuddy was the first to rush up to them. Both she and House stood immediately, becoming very suddenly aware of their unintentionally entwined hands - she smiled at him, and slipped her hand out of his in order to wrap her daughter in a hug. House stood transfixed by the sight before him, as Lisa stood beside her daughter, both of them grinning like crazy. He saw for the first time the dress she was wearing and was momentarily stunned - sure she had looked hot in nothing but her underwear earlier, but now she looked absolutely gorgeous, and he couldn't tear his eyes away. The dress she wore was knee length and a deep blue. The neckline square, and the straps thin, with a cinched waist, and a flowing skirt - she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Her eyes met his and she beckoned him up. He tore his eyes from her and gave Sophie a hug, before standing right behind Lisa. He draped his arms lightly around her waist, and she leaned back into him. "You're gorgeous," He whispered in her ear. She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder, a smile on her face. He kissed her forehead, and whispered in her ear again, "You're daughter was right, you know."

"About what?"

"I'm crazy about you."

"Good." She said, and he chuckled, the laughter rumbling through his chest. She turned back around, leaning into him again as the pair stood watching the newlyweds. Sophie turned and gave them a knowing look, to which House responded by sticking his tongue out at her. She laughed and shook her head.


	10. Chapter 10

House looked around at the various people assembled on the lawn for the wedding, taking in the sight with a rare smile on his face - the entire thing just screamed Sophie. From the brightly-coloured formal wear to the lines of shoes at the entrance, in accordance with her barefoot dress code. The big, open clearing, surrounded by massive, centuries-old oak trees. The chairs that had been lined up for the wedding had been cleared away and replaced with a mish-mash of picnic blankets, giant floor cushions, and table and chair sets in anticipation of the party that was to follow. The decorations were multi-coloured, and as the reception continued into the evening, the strings of lights threaded through the trees, and the outdoor lamps spread about the place lit up the area and illuminated the faces of the laughing guests as House delivered his spur-of-the-moment Father-of-the-bride-esque speech.

He had one arm wrapped around Sophie, as he finished up, "You've found a guy who loves you so much that I don't feel the need to beat him up for taking you from me. I may not be your father, but this is the only time I'm gonna get to say this, you're mother and I are so proud of you, of who you've become, and hope you have a brilliant life with Toby, and enjoy every moment of your marriage. Congratulations Soph." He squeezed her gently, and dropped a kiss on her forehead before leaving the pseudo-stage with a bow and a tip of his hat.

He joined Cuddy on one of the many picnic blankets, sitting awkwardly beside her, managing to barely irritate his leg in the process. Cuddy noticed the flash of pain on his face anyway, and placed a hand on his thigh, rubbing it gently to relax the muscle as she leaned in to whisper, "We could have sat at one of the tables you know."

House shrugged, "This is fine."

Cuddy shook her head gently, and continued to massage his leg as she leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder, while his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her firmly against him. The rest of the evening passed by in a flurry of colour and entertainment. House and Cuddy remained seated on the blanket for the majority of the night, only getting up at one point when House insisted on taking Cuddy on the dance floor. They laughed and drank the night away, enjoying the champagne, and the eclectic selection of music that had been put together for the wedding - obviously chosen by Sophie with a mixture of classic rock, a bit of jazz and blues, a little pop and a few randomly inserted tunes like the chicken dance and the time warp, all of which she enthusiastically danced to.

The one that took both House and Cuddy the most by surprise was the sight of a large number of the wedding guests performing the moves to Thriller in the middle of the clearing - a performance Cuddy had no intention of joining until her daughter dragged her to her feet and forced her to dance next to her. House watched in surprise and amusement as both of the Cuddy women performed the entire song in perfect sync with one another - a fact House teased Lisa mercilessly about for the rest of the evening.

As the night ended, and the last of the guests was leaving, Cuddy pushed herself off the ground into a standing position, suddenly grateful she had stopped drinking a few hours beforehand, when her head barely spun. She offered a hand to House, knowing he would need help to stand after so long on the ground. He took her hand, but instead of allowing her to help him up, he tugged her gently down onto his lap, careful to avoid his thigh. She looked surprised for a moment, then curious. House stared at her, placing a hand on her cheek, and kissing her lightly. "Lisa," He spoke quietly. "Would you marry me?" She looked at him, questioningly, shocked by the sincerity and intensity reflected in his eyes.

She nodded her head slowly, "You know I would."

He seemed appeased by that, "Okay then."

She laughed lightly, and he pressed another kiss to her lips, before allowing her to stand and give him a hand up.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so for those of you have seen the movie I admit I might possibly have stolen the whole 'Thriller' scene from Suddenly 30 - but in my defense I thought it was fun and seemed like a very Sophie thing to do. So there ya go.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Okay, so here's the next installment. Jane Q. Doe and etFated - two of the awesome people who reviewed my last chapter - both asked me to write the Huddy wedding as well. I love me some good Huddy, and I thought about adding an extra chapter in here with their wedding, but I honestly don't think I could do it justice. If inspiration hits, I may write a wedding oneshot with our fav characters including Sophie, but we'll just have to wait and see. So, for now, enjoy this chapter, it jumps ahead to after the Huddy wedding. The end is near :)

* * *

"Okay, so now that you guys are married," Sophie started. House looked at his step-daughter suspiciously - she was up to something he just wasn't sure what. Yet. "Can I call you dad?" House looked at her in shock. She wanted to call him dad, she already considered him her father, and he'd only legally been her step-father for all of two days. Sophie stood by watching her stunned father as a tumult of thoughts rushed through his constantly over-worked brain. She couldn't help but grin as she watched various expressions flash across his face. Clearing her throat, she put on her best little miss innocent face, and waited for him to come back to reality. When he looked up at her, the surprise still evident in his expression, she smiled - innocently. "How about Daddy? Can I call you Daddy? Or how about Pa? Papa? Pop? I could just call you Father. Although that kind of inspires Star Wars quotes I suppose - 'Luke, I am your father. Noooo!'. Heh, that would be pretty funny. I've got it! Pop-pop! We can get you all prepared for being a grandpa." Sophie grinned at him. House scowled back. However, he was having a hard time suppressing his own goofy grin - he had to admit the girl was good. She'd successfully shocked the hell out of him, then proceeded to mock him and quite possibly called him old, and... House's eyes shot to hers. She grinned at him, nodding her head softly. He stood, pulling her into a hug. "You're pregnant?"

"Yup. Here I come enormous stomach, swollen ankles and constant bathroom breaks!" She spoke over-enthusiastically, pumping one fist into the air.

"Have you told your mother?"

"Um... no." House shot her a look. A look that clearly said 'she's going to kill you when she finds out you told me first'. "I know, I know, I should have told her. But she's all hormonal, and it's scary."

House laughed, "That'll be you in about seven months time."

"Now that's a scary thought."

"Come on, we'll set you up in an exam room in the clinic, and I'll call her in for a consult. She'll be so breathtaken with the sight of the parasite on the ultrasound screen she'll completely forget that you haven't told her yet that you're pregnant." He grinned at her, immensely proud of his off-the-top-off-his-head plan. Sophie smiled at him, allowing herself to be guided out of the room, arm in arm with House, as they headed for the elevators.

As the elevator doors opened in front of them, Sophie spoke up, "You know that'll never work right? We're both dead when she finds out."

"I know, but it's worth a shot. Besides, if that fails, we'll just use your stomach as a shield."


	12. Epilogue

"Dad!" Joey House bellowed at the top of his lungs, shrugging off the little girl that was tugging insistently at his sleeve.

"What?" His dad asked from the doorway, as he leaned on his cane, an amused look on his face.

"Dad, Lily won't go away! She keeps trying to take my cars." The four-year-old said, an impressive pout on his face, as he looked pleadingly at his father.

"Is that right, Lils?" House asked the little girl, that still stood beside her uncle, stretching to grab at the precious cars he held just out of her reach. The three-year-old turned to face him, her soft blonde curls bouncing and her big blue eyes giving him an innocent look as she shook her head.

"Just wants to play, Pop." House laughed.

"Sophie! I believe you're daughter and brother require you to settle an argument."

"Dad, honestly you'd think after all these years you could manage to settle a simple argument between little kids."

"That's your mother's department, Soph. She's always been the disciplinarian. Always." He finished with a grin.

Sophie shook her head, unable to hold back a smile. "Joey, honey, share you're cars with Lily, okay. She's your niece, you have to be the cool uncle who plays with her. She promises she'll be careful with your cars. Don't you Lily?"

The little girl bounced with anticipation as she bobbed her head vigorously. Joey still looked unsure, as he gave the girl an appraising look worthy of his father. "Promise?"

"Promise." Lily said.

"Okay." Joey reluctantly handed over the car Lily had been so desperate to play with and they headed back over to his race track and his pile of other cars, spread across the back deck.

House grinned again as Lisa made her way out of the house, carrying two glasses of wine, one of which she handed to her daughter with a smile. House pulled her down beside him on one of the deckchairs, and she laughed, leaning against him. Toby followed her out of the house, handing a beer to House and opening one for himself, taking a seat beside his wife.

"What time are Jimmy and Cutthroat bringing the brat over?" Lisa rolled her eyes, and cuffed him on the head.

"Now, Jackass." Amber bit back at House, as she followed her husband of three years onto the deck, carrying a squirming toddler in her arms.

"I think Junior wants to join the squirts."

Amber nodded, gratefully placing the two-year-old on the deck. He immediately took off in the direction of Joey and Lily, intent on joining in their game.

Wilson and Amber both took up seats, popping open their own beers as they discussed news from the hospital, and plans for the afternoon. House laughed as yet another argument was started amongst the kids, and hugged his wife to him as they chatted with family and friends, revelling in the feeling that overtook him.

Life, for the moment at least, was good - far better than he'd ever expected. He could live with that.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so that's it. I'm so sad to see my little story come to an end - and such a sappy one at that. Big thanks to everyone who read and reviewed and I hope you enjoyed the story.

MyNametagSaysGod :)

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